Obsessive internet use is a public health problem which is so serious it should be officially recognized as a clinical disorder.

Do you get a high from the internet? Do you find that you need to shoot up again online right after you get offline? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, your diagnosis may be in. And while this is not Internet Addicts Anon or where you can get the 12-step program to recovery, the first step is definitely admitting there is a problem. And this is exactly what psychiatrists are stating – that between five and 10 per cent of online users are internet addicts – which is considered a clinical disorder. According to Dr. Jerald Block in the American Journal of Psychiatry, while this mental affliction might be rare, it has been known to require meds and hospitalization to manage withdrawal symptoms. And while it was previously believed to be an illness of educated, social male deviants, it is now becoming a problem for middle-aged women as well.

You Are An Addict If:

According to the good doctor, you may be an addict if you forget to eat and sleep; you need more advanced technology or more hours online as you develop ‘resistance’ to the pleasure given by your current system; if you are deprived of your computer, you experience genuine withdrawal symptoms; and in common with other addictions, you also begin to have more arguments, to suffer fatigue, to get lower marks in tests and to feel isolated from society.

Dr. Block states that “The relationship is with the computer. It becomes a significant other to them. They exhaust emotions that they could experience in the real world on the computer through any number of mechanisms: emailing, gaming, porn. It’s much more acceptable for kids to talk about game use, whereas adults keep it a secret. Rather than having sex, or arguing with their wife or husband, or feeding their children, these adults are playing games.” So, if you are using the internet as your security blankie or a crutch or to hide behind, run to the nearest shrink. Don’t become an internet junkie!

(Image source: The Telegraph)